Marco Polo was born in 1254 in Venice. His father was a wealthy merchant who often went on journeys to faraway lands. In 1271, when Marco Polo was 17 years old, he accompanied his father and uncle on a journey through the Holy Land, Persia and Tartary, and at length to the Empire of China, then called Cathay. It took them three years to reach Cathay.
The emperor of Cathay was a monarch named Kublai Khan who lived in Peking. His father and uncle had been to Cathay before and entertained the emperor. So when they came back, Kublai Khan was glad to see them and invited them to the palace. Kublai Khan gave important positions in the Chinese government for Marco’s dad and uncle so they have to live there for some years. Marco Polo also studied the language and it didn't take long for him to be able to speak the language.
When he was 21, Marco Polo was sent by Kublai Khan to distant parts of China on very important business. He did his work well and was often sent as an envoy. After some years, He, his dad and uncle wished to go back to Venice but the emperor wouldn't want them to go. They were finally able to leave China through the help of Marco’s good friend, Princess Cocachin.
They had to stop at a lot of places before they were finally able to go back to Venice. Their stops included Borneo, Sumatra and Ceylon. It was a long and perilous journey. Finally, they were at Persia and from there, they traveled the Black Sea to Venice.
They have been away for too long that nobody could recognize them. They were wearing Tatar costume and spoke Chinese to each other so they could not convince anybody they were from the Polo family. They were finally able to convince them after throwing a party and showing them their wealth.
Eight hundred years before Marco Polo’s birth, some people of North Italy fled from Attila and settled in the islands of Adriatic and founded Venice. Since then, this little settlement had become the wealthiest and most powerful city of Europe. At the time Marco came back from Cathay (now China), Venice was at war against Genoa. Unfortunately, they lost and a lot of men including him were captured.
When he was in prison for a year, he met a skillful penman. He dictated to him all about his experiences while traveling to China, Japan, and other Eastern countries. It was carefully written out and copies of it are still available. It is said that it was translated in different languages so that people in all parts of Europe could learn about the adventures of Marco Polo.
About a hundred and seventy-five years after the book was written, a famous Genoese, Christopher Columbus, planned his voyage across the Atlantic. It is believed that he read Marco’s description of Java, Sumatra and other East India Islands. He actually thought that he reached those islands when he discovered Haiti and Cuba. So, it might have been Marco Polo who had inspired Christopher Columbus to start his own voyage which later led to the discovery of America.
Marco Polo was born in 1254 in Venice. His father was a wealthy merchant who often went on journeys to faraway lands. In 1271, when Marco Polo was 17 years old, he accompanied his father and uncle on a journey through the Holy Land, Persia and Tartary, and at length to the Empire of China, then called Cathay. It took them three years to reach Cathay.
The emperor of Cathay was a monarch named Kublai Khan who lived in Peking. His father and uncle had been to Cathay before and entertained the emperor. So when they came back, Kublai Khan was glad to see them and invited them to the palace. Kublai Khan gave important positions in the Chinese government for Marco’s dad and uncle so they have to live there for some years. Marco Polo also studied the language and it didn't take long for him to be able to speak the language.
When he was 21, Marco Polo was sent by Kublai Khan to distant parts of China on very important business. He did his work well and was often sent as an envoy. After some years, He, his dad and uncle wished to go back to Venice but the emperor wouldn't want them to go. They were finally able to leave China through the help of Marco’s good friend, Princess Cocachin.
They had to stop at a lot of places before they were finally able to go back to Venice. Their stops included Borneo, Sumatra and Ceylon. It was a long and perilous journey. Finally, they were at Persia and from there, they traveled the Black Sea to Venice.
They have been away for too long that nobody could recognize them. They were wearing Tatar costume and spoke Chinese to each other so they could not convince anybody they were from the Polo family. They were finally able to convince them after throwing a party and showing them their wealth.
Eight hundred years before Marco Polo’s birth, some people of North Italy fled from Attila and settled in the islands of Adriatic and founded Venice. Since then, this little settlement had become the wealthiest and most powerful city of Europe. At the time Marco came back from Cathay (now China), Venice was at war against Genoa. Unfortunately, they lost and a lot of men including him were captured.
When he was in prison for a year, he met a skillful penman. He dictated to him all about his experiences while traveling to China, Japan, and other Eastern countries. It was carefully written out and copies of it are still available. It is said that it was translated in different languages so that people in all parts of Europe could learn about the adventures of Marco Polo.
About a hundred and seventy-five years after the book was written, a famous Genoese, Christopher Columbus, planned his voyage across the Atlantic. It is believed that he read Marco’s description of Java, Sumatra and other East India Islands. He actually thought that he reached those islands when he discovered Haiti and Cuba. So, it might have been Marco Polo who had inspired Christopher Columbus to start his own voyage which later led to the discovery of America.